Automatic dump-bucket.



E. M. DAY & L. A. SMITH.

AUTOMATIQDUMP BUCKET. APPLIOATION FILED JULY 14, 1913.

1 ,09 1 ,1 99. Pa tented Mar. 24, 1914 w [NW/V UNITED STATES PATENT @FFIGE.

EVA 1VL DAY AND LOVE A. SMITH, OF GAINES, PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMATIC DUMP-BUCKET.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, EVA M. DAY and Love A. SMITH, citizens of the United States, and residents of Gaines, Tioga county, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Dump-l3uckets, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to buckets and more particularly to an automatic dump bucket for depositing cement and like material in wells drilled for gas or oil. A solid column of cement is formed in the drilled hole and the column is afterward drilled whereby the usual pipe casing is done away with, the cement preventing the caving of the sides where the material penetrated is of a shaley nature.

The invention has for its object to pro vide an inexpensive bucket which is particularly adapted for use in holes of very small diameter and to provide an arrangement thereon for positively and automatically dumping the contents of the bucket where desired.

The above and other objects and the novel features of the invention will be apparent from the following description accompanied by the drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a foreshortened elevation view of the bucket showing the bottom thereof closed. Fig. 2 is a view partly in section and parts thereof broken away showing the bottom of the bucket in open position and the spring latch in engagement with the notch on the operating rod. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan View of the bucket, the operating rod being shown in section.

Referring to the drawing the bucket comprises a tubular portion which may be of any desired length and of a uniform diameter but is usuallyapproximately twenty feet in length and four inches and upward in diameter dependingupon the diameter of the drilled hole. The bucket is provided at its upper end with a bail 11 which is secured to the section 10 and to which the hoisting rope or chain may be connected for raising and lowering the same. At one side of its lower end the bucket section 10 is recessed as at 12 leaving a flange portion or skirt 13 extending partway around the lower edge of the bucket. At its ends on the opposite sides of the bucket the flange 13 is provided with holes 14 to receive the ends of the pivot Specification of Letters Patent. 6

Application filed July 14, 1913.

Patented Mar. 24, 1914.

Serial No. 779,021.

shaft 15 which extends across the lower end i of the bucket.

The bottom of the bucket consists of a fiat metal disk 16 which has integral ears 17 and 18 on opposite sides thereof lying adacent the holes 1 1 and arranged toreceive the shaft 15 which pivotally supports the bottom at or near the center. Near one end of the bottom 16 there is a pair of ears 19 and 20 arranged to receive a bolt. or pin 21 secured in place by the nut 22 or by riveting" the pm at both ends. The bottom comprises two segmental sections of difierent diameters one section overlapping the edge of the cutaway part 12, the part to which the ears are connected having the same diameter as the interior of the bucket and the opposite end being of a diameter'equal to the outer diameter of the bucket. .It will therefore be seen that the lower edge of the bucket corresponding to the recess 12 forms therefore be seen that the lower edge of the bucket bottom past horizontal position and the bottom will normally rest in a horizontal position as shown in Fig. 1.

The dump rod or operating member by means of which the bottom 10 is rocked on the shaft 15 has a part 23 provided with an eye 23 at one end through which the bolt 21 extends and whereby the operating rodis suspended and free'to move about the said bolt 21. The part 23 of the operating rod is flattened at one end and bent so as to extend inwardly beneath the bucket at its lower end. The part 23 terminates in an enlarged solid end which is circular in cross section and of two diameters, the parts 241 and 25 being joined by the shoulder 26. The part 241 of the larger diameter is threaded above the shoulder 26 to receive the internally threaded collar or coupling member 27 which connects the part 23 with a pipe 28 of any suitablelength. The end of the pipe abuts against theshoulder 26 and the part 25 of the smaller diameter extends into the pipe a short distance so as to reinforce the same.

In operation-the bucket carrying the cement or other material is lowered into the well and when the end of the pipe 28 strikes the bottom of the well the rod 23 will rock the bottom 16 forcing the end to which it is connected inwardly and permitting the discharge of the contents of the bucket. There is a notch 29 at the inner edge and near the bottom section 16 by means of rivets 31.

The hump 29 of the latch 30 springs into the notch 29 when the bottom is completely opened as shown in Fig. 2 and maintains the bottom in an open position so that as the bucket is withdrawn from the well the entire'contents may be discharged. There is also another notch 32 in the operating rod below the notch 29 which is shaped to fit around the shaft 15 when the rod 23 is in the position shown in Fig. 2. Normally the bottom 16 is in the position shown in Fig. 1, even when the bucket is empty, as the weight of the operating rod being eccentrically ap plied will maintain the bottom in such a position. The outer edge of the part 23 of the operating rod located adjacent the eye 23 engages against the inner side of the flange 13 and prevents the outward swing of the operating member so that in normal position it depends centrally of the bucket and when it is lowered into the well will not catch in the sides of the hole. To afford a more ready lowering of the bucket and trip rod connected thereto and to prevent the parts from catching on any projection on the wall of the well I have provided a set of four equally distant rods fastened on the pipe 28 a slight distance below the coupling member 27 so as to allow for the use of wrenches in manipulating the coupling member 27. The rods 33 are secured to the pipe 28 in pairs by means of through bolts 33 which pass through holes in the pipe 28 and are threaded at their ends to receive nuts which engage corresponding ends of oppositely disposed rods 33. The ends of the pairs of rods are therefore not placed quite upon the same line so that the bolts 33 will not interfere. The rods 33 are of yieldable material and are bowed outwardly for a distance somewhat greater than the diameter of the bucket and thereby provide guiding means for both the trip rod and bucketj Another set of guide rods 34 is secured at the lower end of the pipe 28 by means of through bolts 34 and arranged similarly to the rods 33 but are not bowed outwardly quite the same amount.

It will be seen that by attaching a movable rod to a centrally or nearly centrally pivoted bottom section, an automatically operated dumping receptacle is provided. Sucharrangement is essential when lowering. cement or other material into a well. There are no lateral projections which will interfere with the convenient lowering of the bucket and the whole device is very suitable for use in oil and gas Wells where the size of the hole varies from four to eight inches.

By simply omitting the spring latch 30 which holds the bottom section open after the discharge of the material, the device may be used as a bailer in wells of the kind referred to.

From the foregoing description the operation of the device will be clear and as modifications within the scope of the claims are contemplated, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details as shown and described.

Having thus described our invention what we desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A bucket for the purposes described comprising the combination of a cylindrical body portion open at the upper end thereof and adapted to be loaded through said upper end, a bottom section pivoted intermediate its ends and supported adjacent and normally closing the lower end of the body, a member connected to the bottom section and arranged to auton'iatically open the lower end of the bucket at the limit of its downward travel and permit the discharge of the material on opposite sides of said pivot as the bucket is withdrawn from the well, said member being adapted to limit the swing of the bottom.

2. A bucket for the purposes set forth comprising the combination of a relatively long cylindrical body portion open at its upper end and adapted to be loaded through said upper end, a bar extending across the opposite end, a bottom section having means connecting the same to the bar, means including a member depending from the lower side of the bottom for normally maintaining the bottom in closed position and for automatically opening the lower end of the bucket'at the limit of its downward travel and releasable locking means for maintaining said bottom in open position while the contents is discharging from the bucket.

3. A bucket for use in oil and similar wells comprising a combination of a body portion open at its upper end, a bottom therefor pivoted intermediate its ends, an operating rod depending from the bottom at one side of its pivotal connection to the body portion arranged to normally close the lower end of the bucket, and automatically open the lower end at the limit of the downward travel of the bucket, and means for main taining the bottom in an open position so that the material may be discharged on opposite sides thereof as the bucket is withdrawn from the well.

4. A bucket for use in oil and similar wells comprising a combination of a relatively long cylindrical body portion having an opening at its upper end, a shaft extending across the opposite end, a bottom member having pivotal connection with the shaft, means including a member for normally maintaining the bottom in closed position and for rocking the bottom member on its pivot to open the lower end of the bucket at the limit of its downward travel, and a latching means on one of said members and cooperating with the other member to maintain the bottom in open position to permit the escape of the material from the bucket as it is withdrawn from the well.

5. A bucket for use in oil and similar wells comprising the combination of a relatively long cylindrical body portion having an opening at its upper end, a shaft ext-ending across the opposite end, a bottom section having means on its lower side for pivotally connecting the same to the shaft, said bottom section overlapping part of the I lower edge of the body portion, a member depending from the lower side of the bottom opposite the overlapping portion for normally maintaining the bottom in closed position and arranged to rock the bottom section on its pivot and automatically open the lower end of the bucket at the limit of its downward travel, a notch in said member and a part on the bottom cooperating with the notch when the bottom section is swung to open position to hold the bottom open and permit the discharge of the material as the bucket is withdrawn from the well.

6. A bucket for the purposes set forth comprising a relatively long cylindrical body portion open at its upper end and provided with a suitable bail, the lower end of the body portion having a part cut away leaving a skirtlike part extending partway around the lower end, a bottom portion comprising sections of unequal diameters, one section overlapping the edge of the bucket at the cutaway part, means for pivotally supporting said bottom intermediate its ends including a shaft mounted in the s'kirtlike part, and a member suitably connectedadjacent the end of the bottom opposite the overlapping section and arranged to normally hold the bottom closed, the overlapping section providing a stop to limit the movement of the bottom past a horizontal position when moving in one direction, said member being adapted to rock the bottom on its pivot to automatically open the lower end of the bucket when the latter reaches the limit of its downward travel.

In testimony whereof we afliX our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

EVA M. DAY. LOVE A. SMITH.

Witnesses:

W. G. KLINE, AGNES A. KEMORTY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner 0! Patents, Washington, D. 0." 

